


Fear

by teagarden15



Category: A3! (Video Game)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-15
Updated: 2020-07-15
Packaged: 2021-03-04 19:35:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,147
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25291759
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/teagarden15/pseuds/teagarden15
Summary: A3! Rare Pairs Week 7/15 FearIzumi finds Tenma in the kitchen late at night unable to sleep.
Relationships: Sumeragi Tenma & Tachibana Izumi
Comments: 2
Kudos: 57
Collections: A3! Rare Pairs Week 2020





	Fear

Izumi stretched her arms above her head, groaning as she pushed back from her desk. It was already eleven P.M., but she still had work she wanted to get done that night. However, it was time for a break or she would soon find herself falling asleep at her desk. 

“At least one benefit to Homare’s tea obsession is that I have a lot to choose from,” she told herself as she went to the kitchen. She noticed a light was already on as she entered, which wasn’t surprising since it was a Friday night, but what was surprising was the young man sitting at the table. Usually, he was one of the strict ones about going to bed on time for the sake of his skin. 

“You’re still awake, Tenma?” 

“Gah!” Tenma yelled, half-jumping and half-falling out of his chair as he spun around. 

Izumi jumped back, surprised by his drastic reaction. 

“Izumi!” he chastised. “Don’t scare me like that!”

“Scare you? You’re the one who suddenly yelled and jumped up!” Izumi retorted before getting a good look at Tenma. One hand was clutched to his chest and his face was dead white. 

“Are you okay?” she asked, moving toward him. “You’re white as a sheet. You’re not getting sick, are you? Is that why you’re still up?”

“I’m fine,” he said, his face turning red as he knocked her hand away when she tried to feel his forehead. He stared at the floor, face still red. “I’m up because I feel like being up.”

For being such an amazing actor, Tenma was quite the terrible liar. “Really?” Izumi pressed. “Are you sure that’s why you’re still awake?”

“Why are you awake?” he demanded rather than answering.

“I’m still working, but I came down for a tea break. Would you like some as well? You can keep me company.”

“Sure,” he agreed. “If that’s what you want.” 

He sat back down, fidgeting while he waited. Izumi stayed quiet, hoping Tenma would talk about what was bothering him. When it came to coaxing problems out of her actors, Summer Troupe was much easier to deal with than Autumn Troupe. Summer was full of chatterboxes who would usually talk if Izumi gave them enough time and space versus the uncommunicative members of Autumn. 

By the time she brought two mugs of tea to the table, Tenma’s jaw as moving like he was thinking over what he wanted to say. 

“Today we filmed something stupid,” he finally said. 

“Something stupid?” Izumi echoed. “Stupid as in you’re not satisfied with your performance?” 

“No, of course not,” Tenma said with a shake of his head. “I would never allow something like that to happen. It’s . . . You know that I’m starring in a teen drama right now and they have a stupid episode planned for Halloween that we filmed today. We spent the whole day in an abandoned warehouse at the edge of a forest. The episode is full of these interdimensional creatures who try to suck the souls out of humans.” 

Izumi made a silent ‘oh’ of understanding. Tenma didn’t like spooky things under the best of circumstances, but he really wasn’t a fan of abandoned warehouses after having to spend large amounts of time in one by himself as a child for the sake of a horror film he’d been part of. 

He was too freaked out to go to sleep and now she knew why her coming up behind him suddenly had scared him so much. Not that he would ever admit that he was scared, of course. 

“Are your grades doing okay?” she asked, hoping to take Tenma’s mind off the filming he’d done that day. “You have to miss a lot of school for filming.”

“I’m doing fine,” he waved off, then winced. “I might have to do a few make-up days, but that’s not a big deal.” He grinned. “Taichi will be right there with me and he doesn’t have the excuse of missing school for work.” 

Izumi smiled. She was grateful that many of her actors went to school together. So many of them were loners, either intentionally or unintentionally, that she felt it was good for them to have someone they knew and were comfortable with at school. 

Izumi stuck to the topic of school and of Tenma and Taichi attending the same high school, and Juza as well before he’d graduated. Tenma slowly relaxed as they talked, the color returning to his face. 

When Izumi glanced at the oven clock and saw that it was midnight, she sighed. “I’d better get back to work if I want to get it finished before morning,” she said as she stood. 

Immediately, Tenma’s eyes widened in panic and one of his hands shot out to grab her arm, “Wait!” 

Izumi stopped. She’d hoped she’d gotten Tenma calmed down enough between the relaxed talking and the tea for him to get to sleep, but it appeared that wasn’t the case. 

He stared up at her, his eyes begging her to stay, though she knew he would never ask. 

She mentally lamented only for a second that she wouldn’t get her work done before she let the thought go. “Did you hear Kazunari talking to Muku about that comedy film he bought? It sounded pretty good. I think he may have left it out. Want to watch it together?”

“Sure,” Tenma agreed, his face turning red again as he slowly pulled his hand away. “It’s always good to research comedy since that’s Summer Troupe’s specialty.” 

He trailed behind her as she went to the living room. 

“Aha!” Izumi exclaimed upon finding the film laying on the coffee table. “I was right that Kazunari left it out. All right, let’s see if it lives up to his hype.” 

~.~

Tenma sighed as the credits to the movie rolled. He was so pathetic. He couldn’t believe that he’d been too afraid to go to bed just because he’d filmed a few creepy scenes that day. All right, he’d filmed creepy scenes all day, but still, he was eighteen years old, he shouldn’t be so affected that he was afraid to go to sleep. 

And he’d inconvenienced the director. He glanced over at Izumi, who was asleep, laying across the arm of the couch. She’d made it through most of the movie, but succumbed to sleep near the climax. Her arms were curled close to her chest and she was huddled in on herself like she was cold. 

Berating himself once again for being so weak, he found a blanket and tucked it around the director. She relaxed and, ridiculously, Tenma felt better about being able to do at least this much for her. 

He wanted to become stronger so he would be a better support to the director. As an actor and as leader of the Summer Troupe, of course.


End file.
